Safety front holding member for ski boot

ABSTRACT

A safety front holding member for ski boot on a ski which permits the lateral release of the boot over the ski, the said member having a holding jaw adapted to come in contact with the upper front edge of the sole of the boot, and characterized by a resilient element mounted between the jaw and the ski to enable a vertical displacement of the jaw without any abnormal restriction to the lateral release of the boot.

Unite States Patent [72] Inventor Georges P. J. Salomon 34, Avenue de Loverchy, Anuecy, Haute- Savoie, France [21] Appl. No. 854,365

[22] Filed Sept, 2, 1969 [45] Patented Jan. 4, 1972 [32] Priority Sept. 6, 1968 [3 3] France [54] SAFETY FRONT HOLDING MEMBER FOR SKI BOOT 4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 280/1l.35T [51] Int. Cl A63c 9/00 7' [50] FieldofSearch 280/ll.35T

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,476,401 11/1969 Ungerm, Primary ExaminerBenjamin Hersh Assistant ExaminerRobert R. Song Att0rneyRaym0nd A. Robic ABSTRACT: A safety front holding member for ski boot on a ski which permits the lateral release of the boot over the ski, the said member having a holding jaw adapted to come in contact with the upper front edge of the sole of the boot, and characterized by a resilient element mounted between the jaw and the ski to enable a vertical displacement of the jaw without any abnormal restriction to the lateral release of the boot.

PATENTEU JAN 4 I972 SHEET 2 BF 4 FIG-3 FIG-4 INVENTOR. Geooyo: R J: SAIJMWV PATENTEUJAN 41972 31632123 SHEET 3 F 4 1 FIG-5 Eearyes R f 5Al0M0/V SAFETY FRONT HOLDING MEMBER FOR SKI BOOT The present invention is directed to a safety front holding member for ski boot and in particular to a resilient element mounted between the boot holding jaw of the front holding member and the ski to enable a vertical displacement of the jaw without an abnormal restriction to the lateral release of the boot.

Safety front holding members for a ski boot on a ski are known to have a holding jaw adapted to be in contact with the forward part of the sole of the ski boot, the said element being vertically fixed and adapted only to move laterally to release the ski boot when the latter exerts an abnormal torsion upon the foot of the skier.

These holding members have serious disadvantages. In the case of the deformation of the sole of the boot or when snow or other foreign matter is stuck under the latter, an abnormal vertical pressure is exerted upon the jaw of the holding member and modifies the functional characteristics of the said member due to friction, jamming, bending or the like between the sole and the holding jaw on one hand and the ski on the other hand. The present invention overcomes these disadvantages in a simple and efficient manner.

The invention consists of an improvement for a safety front holding member for ski boot on a ski which permits the lateral release of the boot over the ski, the said member having a holding jaw adapted to come in contact with the upper front edge of the sole of the boot, the said holding member comprising at least one resilient element mounted between the jaw and the ski to enable a vertical displacement of the jaw without any abnormal restriction to the lateral release of the boot.

According to the invention, the resilient element, such as a spring, may be located between the jaw and the holding member or between the jaw and the mechanism permitting the vertical setting or between the body of the holding member and the base plate which enables its assembly on the ski, or between the holding member and a third element solidly fixed to the ski.

The invention will be better understood by referring to the following description and the annexed drawings which constitute preferred embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of the safety front member according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating an assembly of the boot on the ski with an abnormal vertical pressure.

FIGS. 3 to 8 are partial sectional view of various embodiments of the invention for a safety front holding member.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the boot 1 is fixed on the ski 2 by ajaw assembly including a jaw 3 of a front holding member 6. The member 6 is articulated about a pivot 7 fixed to a base plate 8 and locked in a holding position by means of a known mechanism, such as a ball bearing, whose adjustable setting is obtained by the screw 9. The axle 10 on which may pivot the jaw 3, and whose abutment 11 is engaged in a slot corresponding with a female screw 12, enables, when in rotation, the threading and unthreading of said screw in a threaded socket 13 and consequently the vertical setting of the jaw which is mounted on the said axle.

Furthermore, according to the invention, in order to obtain a certain amount of resiliency of the holding jaw, the latter is immobilized in a flexible manner by the axle 10, the said axle having a screw 16 which compresses a spring 17 against the female screw 12, so that when snow or any foreign matter remains between the boot and the ski (FIG. 2), the holding jaw 3 may be vertically lifted, preventing the boot from exerting abnormal pressures on the holding member and on the ski which modify the functional characteristics of the said holding member.

A stirrup 20, articulated on the socket 13, in an appropriate mantle for the holding member provides the lateral immobilization of the boot 1.

In FIG. 3, the holding member differs from the preceding one in that the resilient assembly of the holding jaw 31 for the immobilization of the boot 1 is obtained through a lever 32 which pivots about an axle 36, solidly fixed to the jaw 31, which pivots also about the said axle 36. The articulation which permits the jaw 31 to be free in a horizontal plan is obtained through the threaded axle 38, threaded in the socket 39 of the stirrup 20 and enabling the vertical setting of the holding jaw 31.

In FIG. 4, the boot 1 is maintained on the ski 2 by a holding member 40 which, in order to permit a certain vertical movement of the forward end of the boot, is tiltedly mounted about the axis 42 located between the base plate 43 of the holding member and a second plate 44 solidly fixed on the ski 2. A spring 45, located in the articulated pivot 46, of the holding member, and in contact with the second plate 44. guarantees the resiliency of the vertical movement and maintains the holding member in abutment against a projection 47 from the second plate 44.

In FIG. 5, the holding member 50 of the boot 1 is mounted on the ski through the axle 51 of a frame 52, axle on which is articulated the projection 53 of the base plate 54 of the holding member. The spring 55 located between an appropriate leg 56 of the base plate and the frame 52, which is solidly fixed on the ski 2 by means which are not illustrated, enables a certain resilient movement of the holding member and, consequently, of the holding jaw 57 of the boot 1, without any abnormal restriction of the lateral movement of the holding member.

In FIG. 6 the embodiment concerns a holding member having a simple pivot. The holding jaw 60 of the boot 1 is adjustably mounted, by means of a threaded axle 61 solidly fixed to the stirrup 62 pivotally mounted about the axle 63 of the holding member 64. The tilting of the stirrup 62 is prevented by the action of the spring 65, located in the articulated pivot 66, and enables a certain vertical movement of the jaw 60, without modifying the lateral releasing of the holding member, obtained by the stirrup 62 whose locking is itself obtained by known mechanisms. It may be adjusted by operating the screw 9. The two abutrnents 68 and 67 are provided in order to maintain the stirrup 62 in a position enabling the skier to engage the boot in the holding member without having to manually operate the stirrup 62.

In FIG. 7, the boot 1 is immobilized on the ski 2 by a holding member 70 whose jaw 71 is adjustably mounted on a screw 72 threadedly engaged in the threaded socket 73 for the articulation of the stirrup 74, is made of a flexible and resilient material, for example, of steel sheets, so as to enable a certain vertical movement of the end of the boot 1. The shape of the jaw 71 will limit the vertical travel towards the bottom so that the skier, may easily engage the boot in the holding member in the lowest position of the jaw 71.

In FIG. 3, the jaw of the boot 1 is slidingly mounted on screw 81 enabling its vertical adjustment, by a threading in a threaded socket 82 for the articulation of the stirrup 83, a spring 84 being located between the head 85 of the threaded screw 81 and the jaw 80, held on the latter by a stop ring 86 so as to pennit a resilient vertical movement of the front end of the boot 1. A small cup 87 covers and protects the spring 84.

It is understood that the resilient means for enabling a vertical movement of the front end of the ski boot may be used with various types of holding members without departing from the purport of the invention.

I claim:

1. A safety front holding member for a ski boot on a ski which permits the lateral release of the boot over the ski, said holding member being pivotally mounted on a vertical axis rigid with a base plate fixed on the ski and being resiliently maintained in position by a locking mechanism, said holding member carrying a jaw assembly including an upper part adapted to come into contact with the upper front edge of the sole of the boot and a substantially horizontal stirrup part adapted to laterally engage the sole of the boot, said parts both being able to pivot around a vertical axis provided in said holding member, said upper part being vertically movable on said holding member for limiting the downward motion of said upper part and maintaining the same spaced from the ski to a determined value.

4. A safety front holding member as claimed in claim 2 wherein abutment means are constituted by the lower flat face of said upper part and the upper flat face of a part of said holding member.

1 i i i t 

1. A safety front holding member for a ski boot on a ski which permits the lateral release of the boot over the ski, said holding member being pivotally mounted on a vertical axis rigid with a base plate fixed on the ski and being resiliently maintained in position by a locking mechanism, said holding member carrying a jaw assembly including an upper part adapted to come into contact with the upper front edge of the sole of the boot and a substantially horizontal stirrup part adapted to laterally engage the sole of the boot, said parts both being able to pivot around a vertical axis provided in said holding member, said upper part being vertically movable relative to said stirrup part by means of a resilient element acting between said upper part and said stirrup part without any abnormal restriction to the lateral release of the boot.
 2. A safety front holding member as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resilient element is a coil spring coaxial with said vertical axis provided in said holding member.
 3. A safety front holding member as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resilient element biases said upper part downwardly toward the ski and abutment means are provided on said holding member for limiting the downward motion of said upper part and maintaining the same spaced from the ski to a determined value.
 4. A safety front holding member as claimed in claim 2 wherein abutment means are constituted by the lower flat face of said upper part and the upper flat face of a part of said holding member. 